ASHWINI A. writes from Bangalore: Two stories about the Bangalore Police in this morning’s newspapers caught my attention—stories which left me wondering about their professional capabilities and investigative abilities, the police that is, not the media’s.

The first story was about an hour-long media conference called by Bangalore police commissioner Neelam Achutha Rao and joint commissioner Gopal B. Hosur to give details about the recovery of stolen goods worth Rs 20 lakh.

From the news reports, it appears that during the entire duration of the media meet, the two top police officers didn’t have a single word to say about what they and their colleagues and compatriots were doing to crack the mysteries of the high-profile case.

The two officers refused to comment on the investigations at the Bangalore end of the foiled Glasgow attack. No questions on the progress of the case were taken, none answered. Instead, they vent their anger on the media for asking “unnecessary questions” about Kafeel Ahmed and Sabeel Ahmed.

Should the police chief of Bangalore call for a press conference to announce the recovery of goods worth a paltry Rs 20 lakh when there is such a massive case with huge international ramifications simmering in his backyard?

People of the city and across the world are waiting and eager to know what progress the police are making to solve a major crime and we have the top cop speaking about a petty crime! It gives the impression that the City police have their priorities all botched up.

This actually throws up several more uneasy, subsidiary questions:

Are our police silent because they are working on something big or because they are trying to give the indication that they are working on something big? Do our police actually have the professionalism to investigate and solve such crimes? How are they equipped and trained to handle a similar attack and its aftermath in Bangalore?

If the IT City with the country’s first cyber police branch doesn’t have the wherewithal to open and decipher a “high capacity hard disk”, are we in safe hands?

***

The second media story that caught my attention was a report in Bangalore Mirror about a young man and his fiancee who went to a picnic spot near T.G. Halli over the weekend, and how the girl was robbed and tied to a tree while the young man was killed in an attack by a group of unknown people.

There was no compassion for the life lost. There was no promise or assurance of what the police would do to solve the crime. And there was not a word about the measures the police would initiate to avert such incidents in the future.

The bottomline is, can we trust our police to safeguard our lives properly?

A man is killed, his fiancee is robbed, assaulted and tied to a tree and all we have the police inspector saying is that this incident should serve as warning to people going to secluded places as though it is illegal to do so if not a crime.

Tomorrow, such cops may well counsel us, instead of policing us, and ask us to stay indoors if we want to remain safe. What does it take to get their cops to do the job they are paid salaries for? Can we ever trust the men in khaki to ensure that we can live in safely and securely?

Keeping in line with rapid outsourcing that Bangalore now has become famous for, IT as well as terror, should we start talking about outsourcing the police investigations? Or, better still, should the terror probe case be taken over by the CBI?

21 comments

Bangalore police has acquired competence in solving petty cases such as pick-pocketing, chain-snatching etc and in separating fighting rowdies in Kalasiapalya and munireddypalya.High-profile thefts, subversion and cyber cafe crimes are unknown commodity to them. That’s why they haven’t been able to book anybody in the the IISc case.

“This incident must serve as an eye-opener for couples visiting secluded places.”

Come on folks, it is a sin to ask so much of a corrupt, ill-educated, underpaid, over-weight third world police force. Venture out at your own risk. If you can afford it, hire a platoon to accompany you!!

In a lighter vein, a true democracy would let it’s citizens bear firearms, hire armies, develop their own weapons and generally let them take care of their security themselves!! LOL!! what a circus that would be!! Bangaloreans could take some comfort in knowing that things could be far, far worse!!

Police cannot do any thing, how ever well they are equiped, as long as people do not cooperate in aprehending the antisocial elements. If one harbers a criminal at home, what can the police do? Even politicians do this with total immunity!

At least 24 security personnel are feared killed in a fierce gunbattle with Naxalites in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, about 440 km from the state capital Raipur.

Dantewada Superintendent of Police Rahul Sharma told Hindustan Times on Tuesday that 16 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, six Special Police Officers (SPOs) and two policemen from the district police were feared killed in a raid on a Naxal camp in the interiors of the state.

On Monday evening, 115 security personnel drawn from various forces launched a joint operation in the remote Arpalmeta-Regadgatta jungle of Dantewada district in southern Bastar region following information about the operation of a secret naxal camp there. As soon as the forces reached Arpalmeta-Regadgatta area, the Maoists attacked them with LMG and mortar and a fierce gunbattle ensued, police said.

Additional Superintendent of Police SL Baghel said while 71 personnel came back last night and another 20 returned on Tuesday morning, the remaining securitymen were believed to have been killed in the gunbattle that lasted nearly four hours.

The securitymen who made it back said heavy casualty had been inflicted on the Maoists, Baghel added.

Earlier, Director General of Police Vishwaranjan said 35 security personnel were reportedly missing but he later changed the figure to 13.

Sixteen securitymen were also injured in the gunbattle, seven of them critically, an official said. The seriously wounded are being treated at the district hospital in Jagdalpur, divisional headquarters of Bastar district.

An assistant commandant of CRPF, who was leading the police party, is among those missing, unconfirmed sources said.

“All efforts to establish radio communication with those missing have failed and heavy downpour is posing a major hurdle in tracing the security forces,”said Dantewada SP.

The district administration is rushing over 200 security forces and commandos to the forests to trace the missing personnel.

TS and Dharma, you both have valid points.
We need to be supportive of police and law enforcers in general and not be eager to condemn them as they are byproducts of the same society. When we don’t hold the media, political class and many others to the same standards, we somehow expect wonders from law enforcers.
Somehow there seems to be a bias in many sections including the media, general public and politicians against law enforcers. In most cases there is even misguided sympathy towards crime doers. Let us be a little more balanced in our approach.

On another note, it is better to paste a link and give a brief description rather than the whole article so it is easier to read and the original contributor gets credit.

I don’t see what else the Bangalore police can do about the Glasgow case. Infact the media has criticized the police for going out of its way to dig up the details of the “persons of interest” as the UK authorities had not seeked any help from the Bangalore police yet. They are damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
Having seen how responsibly the media has behaved so far, the sensitivty and judiciousness that they have displayed in this case, I completely understand the reluctance of the police to share any more information.

I guess Vinutha Mallya should read the first part of your post since she doesn’t believe in police being pro-active. Nah Nah, no actions until Glasgow police ask us to….

As for the second story, vey unfortunate indeed. We have the tendency to pounce on the police and condemn them for every (in) action. We certainly need to avoid that. But, come on…which responsible human being comes up with a “This incident must serve as an eye-opener for couples visiting secluded places.” quote? That’s utter nonsense.

““This incident must serve as an eye-opener for couples visiting secluded places.”

Perfectly said. Whats wrong with it?! Secluded places are secluded places. Whether in bengaloor or mysore or new york or london. I’d dare all the ones whining here to take a walk across a secluded alley in Bronx even during the day! Police cant be expected to keep a watch over every square inch in, around and outside their jurisdictions. If couples cant resist necking in secluded places at any cost, they should at the very least cut the crap and quit whining when something unwelcome happens.

As for Bangalore police, I am sure they’re one of the best in the country.. or else kongas would have had their asses whipped atleast a few times in the last few years. All of ye who cry hoarse over ‘lumpen elements’ thank the police that the ‘lumpen elements’ are yet to get their hands on you.

I find our police to be one of the most competent. In fact,, I found how incompetent the police are in New Zealand, when I stayed there for eight months. They had failed to solve a number of murder and even theft cases. They were mostly interested in traffic offences. The Police Commissioner of Auckland openly admitted this in a debate on the TV there. The police advise those who have lost property to go and get insurance money instead of filing a case! That poor is police functioning in some of those countries. Unless public co-operate with the police, police alone cannot do much. But inspite of this, our policemen are doing their best in investigations and detections.

If people in a society are prone to lie, commit and abet crimes etc. and a large section dont care or are not aware of the law of the land – what can the police do?

Before independence at least the police were relatively well paid and didnt have to worry too much about the media when using a heavy hand to deal with criminal activity. And they were probably more fair – they dealt with most Indians the same way since most Indians didnt have ‘influence’ anyway.

The same person who wrote this article will probably cry human rights violation when the police actually try to do some ‘investigative work’.

I dont believe Western ideas of policing/investigation will work effectively in our society…

People are now taking advantage of ill equipped and short manned police force. A possible list of panacea is:

Double the work force
Remove it from the clutches of the political system
Increase allocation to the force and hire professionals
Have training schools just like any other professional /Vocational course to increase the number. If you can’t get a Police job make it manditory to have them for other security jobs.
Most importantly, most importantly, make army training compulsory TO ALL.

Sisya said: “If couples cant resist necking in secluded places at any cost, they should at the very least cut the crap and quit whining when something unwelcome happens.”

Sisya, I honestly, sincerely hope you’re travelling with your sister/mother/some relative someday and find yourself in a secluded place, and someone does precisely what the robbers did to the people in the article above.
A couple walking on a secluded street could be for several reasons, not necessarily ‘necking’ (e.g. returning late from work).
And what prompted you to cite New York as an example? How about this example instead: “In Zurich couples/single men/single women walk the streets at 2:00 AM just to relish the summer night”.
Ensure that you emulate someone who’s better than you, and you’ll achieve something. Next you’ll cite examples of Beirut and Mogadishu.. huh.